Commercial passenger carrying aircraft commonly have storage or compartment structures (frequently referred to by the generic term “monuments”) installed on the aircraft. These structures are used in a variety of ways, such as storage of clothing and other passenger belongings, electronic entertainment centers, sleeping quarters for the crew, work stations, bar units, lavatories, and galleys used to provide in-flight catering service to passengers.
Traditionally, these monuments have been manufactured as assemblies of multi-layered composite panels or other flat sheet materials to form standalone structures that may then be secured to the aircraft and connected to items such as wiring looms and electrical components, ventilation and air extraction ducts, hoses, and component mountings, decor panels, hinges, back stops, galley insert equipment interfaces, access panels, ducts, sliders and drawer runners, electronic entertainment devices, grilles, and general equipment retainers. Some of these items fall into the broad categories of electrical, plumbing, or air handling equipment.
Monuments are generally secured or fixed to the aircraft at floor level or from above. Securement devices and systems may need to be adjustable as aircraft are repurposed or reconfigured on occasion, and the monuments must be relocated. As such, securement devices and systems may also have to withstand certain static and dynamic loads to maintain monument position while in service and in flight.
Federal regulations dictate certain standards for static load handling, load sharing and dynamic load handling. 14 CFR 25.561 (incorporated herein by reference) provides that aircraft structures such as bulkheads must be able to withstand a 9G forward static load. It is understood in the industry that if structures are spaced within one inch of one another, it must be demonstrated that the structures are capable of sharing loads during normal use and emergency landing conditions.